Calcutta - Gaudiya Math, Bagbazar

Sri Gaudiya Math.16/A, Kaliprasad Chakraborty Street. P. O. : Baghbazar. Kolkata . Estb. on-5th Oct., 1930 by the Lotus hands of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada Calcutta (now Kolkata) was the then capital city of British India.

The founder of Gaudiya Maths and Mission, Nityalila Prabista Om Vishnupada Paramhansa Sri Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, after establishing the Chaitanya Math at Mayapur, wanted to open a main centre or the head office at this capital city. He established a Gaudiya Math at 1, Ultadingi Junction Road , and named it- “Sri Bhaktivinod Asan.” There he started the worship of Sri Gaur Radha Govinda jiu from 6th September, 1920.

Some time later, a rich business man being deeply impressed by the spiritual personality of Prabhupada wanted to donate some land. The said fortunate soul namely Sri Jagabandhu Dutta belonging to Banaripara of Dist. Barisal, Bangladesh, procured some land at the bank of the Ganges at Bagbazar. He constructed a mighty fully ornamented temple of marble, attached to Natyamandir (Kirtan hall), and sevak khandas ( dwelling places for the devotees) bearing all its expenses.

On 5th October in the year 1930, Srila Prabhupada with all the devotees inaugurated the new temple installing the deities there. He celebrated festivals of Sri Radha-Madanmohan , Radha- Govinda and Radha-Gopinath and also inaugurated the Paramarthik(regarding soul) Exhibition. Being much satisfied with the glorifying service of Sri Jagabandhu Dutta (Bhaktiranjan), he, with an engrossed mood, uttered many-a-time, while on the way to Nilachal from Barhanagar, “Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu”, came to this place along the bank of the Ganges associated with His associates. Here, where our Math has been established, He took rest for some time.

Srila Prabhupada started celebrating the annual festival for a month long time; every Sunday ‘Nagar Sankirtan Sovayatra' would come out circumambulating the city, Calcutta; live lectures would be listen to the radio on the occasion of Baladev purnima, Krishna janmastami, Radhastami, Bhaktivinod jayanti etc.   He would deliver discourses on Srimad Bhagbat for 6 days long from Baladev purnima onwards. Till these days these functions are celebrated with much zeal and lustre. The celebration of Chandan Yatra (smearing Radha-Krisna withsandle pest) of Sri Krishna during the hot days of summer, starting from Akshaytritiya for a period of 21 days, is still a matter of conspicuous. Thousands of people gather each day to get a glimpse of the beautifully decorated Lord Krishna with Sandal pest and flowers.

The gorgeously ornamented old structure attracted eyes of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. It felt honoured to declare the building as Heritage Building of Kolkata in the year 2006. . This Math is also significant till today among the Gaudiya devotees, world-wide, as the place of Srila Prabhupada 's demise '.